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A Dolphins Comeback for the Ages

The Miami Dolphins did something no other NFL team had done in more than a decade in their stunning victory at Baltimore
Alain Poupart|
A Dolphins Comeback for the Ages
A Dolphins Comeback for the Ages

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Miami DolphinsBaltimore Ravens

As improbable victories go, this might have been the most improbable ever for the Miami Dolphins.

The stunning 42-38 victory against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday after the Dolphins trailed by 21 not once by twice represented the second-largest comeback in team history.

It was, however, the largest deficit the Dolphins have overcome in the second half of a game.

The previous largest second-half comeback came against the New York Jets in 1994 in a game Dolphins fans remember not so much for the comeback but rather for the "Fake Spike" game-winning touchdown pass from Dan Marino to Mark Ingram.

The Dolphins trailed 24-6 that day before winning 28-24.

THE LARGEST DOLPHINS COMEBACK

The largest Dolphins comeback of any kind was from 24 points down, from a 24-0 second-quarter hole to a 34-27 victory against New England at the Orange Bowl in 1974.

How special was the Dolphins comeback?

For those somehow not aware, the Dolphins trailed 28-7 at halftime and then trailed 35-14 early in the fourth quarter before they came back.

According to ESPN Stats Info, the Dolphins became the first team since 2010 to erase a fourth-quarter deficit of 21 points or more.

The most amazing part of that stat is that teams trailing by 21 or more in the fourth quarter had been 0-711 before the Dolphins ended that run.

That is how stunning this comeback was.

And the two stars of that fourth quarter were Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill, who put up in that one quarter numbers that wouldn't have been so bad for an entire game.

Tua was 13-for-17 for 199 yards and four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, good for a passer rating of 154.2 — not sure what it would have taken for a perfect 158.3.

Hill, meanwhile, had five catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. 

As a team, the Dolphins had 233 total yards in that fourth quarter, which adds up to 932 yards over a full game.

The Dolphins had four possessions in the fourth quarter, all of them ending in a touchdown.

THE TOP 10 COMEBACK VICTORIES IN DOLPHINS HISTORY

From 24 points down, 34-27 over New England, 1974

From 21 points down, 42-38 at Baltimore, 2012

From 21 points down, 24-23 vs. Buffalo, 2005

From 18 points down, 24-21 vs. Cleveland, 1985 playoffs

From 18 points down, 28-24 at N.Y. Jets, 1994

From 18 points down, 24-21 vs. Pittsburgh, 1971

From 17 points down, 21-17 at Buffalo, 1968

From 17 points down, 31-23 at N.Y. Jets, 1989

From 17 points down, 28-20 vs. Green Bay, 2000

From 17 points down, 20-17 at Atlanta, 2017

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Alain Poupart
ALAIN POUPART

Alain Poupart is the publisher/editor of Miami Dolphins On SI and host of the All Dolphins Podcast. Alain has covered the Miami Dolphins on a full-time basis since 1989 for various publications and media outlets, including Dolphin Digest, The Associated Press and the Dolphins team website. In addition to being a credentialed member of the Miami Dolphins press corps, Alain has covered three Super Bowls (for NFL.com, Football News and the Montreal Gazette), the annual NFL draft, the Senior Bowl, and the NFL Scouting Combine. During his almost 40 years in journalism, which began at the now-defunct Miami News, Alain has covered practically every sport at one time or another, from tennis to golf, baseball, basketball and everything in between. The career also included time as a copy editor, including work on several books, such as "Still Perfect," an inside look at the Miami Dolphins' 1972 perfect season. A native of Montreal, Canada, whose first language is French, Alain grew up a huge hockey fan but soon developed a love for all sports, including NFL football. He has lived in South Florida since the 1980s.

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